Baguio fuel cost reduction awaited/ Single ticketing system

CITY HALL BEAT

Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY -- Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the city is still waiting for the reply of the Dept. of Energy and the country’s oil industry leader on the city’s request for the reduction of the cost of fuel products in the city.
    The mayor on April 25, 2023 wrote Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla and San Miguel Holdings Corp. Vice Chairperson and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang where he aired the city’s concern on the large price disparity of fuel prices in Baguio and other localities with a variance of P5-P10.
    “This difference is hard felt among our drivers and public transport operators who have had to operate in conditions not dissimilar to those in areas with lower fuel prices,” the mayor said.
    He told Lotilla that the city “is constrained to seek an inquiry as to why this gap in prices exists or is allowed to prevail” even as he appealed for the department to undertake “appropriate intervention and any other action that (the department) may see fit in the interest of public service and convenience.”
    To Ang, the mayor requested that “corporation consider possibility of reducing fuel prices in the city to an extent that it may consider as practicable and at the same time reasonable for consumers.”
    The mayor reopened the long standing issue the other week due to the persisting big gap between the prices which he said was “concerning”
    He first addressed the issue in October, 2019 when he sought an audience with the executives of the three big industry players and aired the city’s appeal to reduce permanently the price differences.

Petron Corporation through Assistant Vice President for Corporate Affairs Charmaine Canillas granted the appeal and reduced the cost in the city by P3.

“We really hope that we can again be heard and our request granted for the price reduction to help our city in its economic recovery efforts,” the mayor said.

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Mayor Benjamin Magalong has pushed for the adoption of the single ticketing system for traffic violations similar to the scheme piloted in the National Capital Region beginning May 2, 2023.

He directed the city traffic team to begin working on a draft ordinance adapting the same scheme in the city in coordination with Councilor Benny Bomogao, chair of the city council committee on public utilities, transportation and traffic legislation. He said the Dept. of Interior and Local Government (DILG) had urged local government units to implement a similar policy.

The single ticketing system aims to “harmonize the existing national and local laws on traffic enforcement to establish an effective transport and traffic management system in Metro Manila” including the imposition of uniform fines for the violations.

Last Feb. 1, the Metro Manila Council adopted the system by establishing the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023.

The pilot implementation covered Manila, Parañaque, Quezon City, Caloocan, San Juan, Muntinlupa, and Valenzuela.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chief Don Artes reportedly said Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. aired intent to push for the system’s adoption nationwide in hopes of unifying traffic fines in the different LGUs.

Artes reportedly said that aside from unifying the fines, the system will enable the “integration of other LGUs within the LTO’s IT systems or the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS)” which will facilitate payment of fines and will eliminate the process of confiscation of licenses.